


You Were Saying, General Pryde?

by ira_fae



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Emperor Armitage Hux, Emperor Hux hates all of you, Knight Kylo Ren, M/M, intimidating for funsies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-02-23 04:24:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23738962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ira_fae/pseuds/ira_fae
Summary: Emperor Hux is bored of General Pryde's chatter. So, he decides to scare the man in the best way possible, by having Kylo Ren turn on his lightsaber.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 131





	You Were Saying, General Pryde?

**Author's Note:**

> this is based of of this beautiful piece of artwork [Light Study ft Toasty Hand](https://ira-fae.tumblr.com/post/615679924134641664/chromesink-light-study-feat-toasty-hand)

Dreary. It’s all incredibly  _ dreary _ . Useless plans from sniveling men who know nothing about advancing the empire or the Order. He’s all elegant lines, one leg resting atop the other knee, foot flexed, pointed up in an impeccably shiny boot. One arm rests on the throne, hand dangling off elegantly, the other elbow is bent, sharp, his hand gracefully placed on his face. A finger touches his cheekbone and he holds the rest under his jaw. 

Everything about him screams authority, elegance, power. 

Nothing about any of the men who have scheduled an audience with him today have even an iota of the control, the poise that he has. 

“Emperor Hux,” the man bows lowly, almost mockingly. As he stands Hux watches his eyes flick to his right.  _ Good. _

“Allegiant General Pryde,” his tone indicates indifference. The general swallows, thrown off by the slight dismissal. Hux can - even without the force - tell that he was expecting a warm greeting. There’s a pause as Pryde flicks his eyes to Hux’s right,  _ again _ . “Report, General.” Hux’s tone is sharper, stinging. The general swallows again. He runs his hands down his thighs and pulls them behind his back, standing up straighter. 

Fixing his posture does nothing to fix the disheveled air about him. Almost everything about Pryde is just slightly off. His boots aren’t shined to blinding. His uniform seems unpressed. His hair is slightly untidy. 

“My lord,” Pryde smiles - an unsettling thing with too many teeth - “I am happy to report that I have received positive numbers from our most recent TIE line of ships.” There is something seedy about the way Pryde talks. He goes on to babble about useless nonsense that should never have been brought before the Emperor. 

Hux keeps his face impassive, immobile, emotionless. He’s unimpressed with Pryde’s numbers and boasting. If it wouldn’t be such a hassle Hux would’ve had Kylo Ren dispose of the man long ago. 

Such fun it would have been to see the life drain from Pryde’s arrogant face as Ren force choked him. Or perhaps Hux would have Ren use that saber of his. Most likely he would let Ren choose. The raw power the exudes from that man is precisely why he is Hux’s most trusted weapon. Kylo Ren is almost an extension of Emperor Hux, the way a blaster is an extension of a Stormtrooper, the way a lightsaber is an extension of a Jedi or a Sith.

Whilst Hux was fantasizing of the man’s death Pryde had pulled up holograms and started showing Hux a presentation of sorts. Overexplaining engineering concepts Hux grasped long ago. It’s not that he’s irreplaceable, it’s just that the hassle that would come with replacing him is a bigger headache than Pryde himself. Oh, how Hux wishes that weren’t the case. 

Pryde is lucky. Others have not been so lucky. Others have been much more replaceable. Hux has been able to use Kylo Ren to dispose of things - useless officers, traitors, blockages of the First Order’s progress. 

Though Kylo Ren answers to Emperor Hux, he would never disrespect the power that Ren wields. He is invaluable, more powerful than all his Knights put together, more useful than Starkiller. Hux will always respect Kylo Ren more than anyone - or anything - under his command. 

Hux wields his most powerful weapon with the respect he  _ deserves _ . 

Though, sometimes it is nice to have the tall, intimidating figure standing next to him, casting a shadow of anyone who steps before his throne. Men like Allegiant General Enric Pryde tremble before Ren, their fear showing in the way they can’t take their eyes off of him. 

Hux will always use this knowledge to his advantage. Especially when they begin to wear on his patience. 

Pryde is prattling about some part of the new TIE fighters when Kylo Ren’s lightsaber ignites. The General looks as if he’s about to faint, his face glowing faintly red in the light emanating from the saber. He’s too far away for the light to fully cover him. Pryde watches, eyes wide, quite literally shaking in his boots as the Emperor, with a cigarra between his lips leans toward his Knight.

The emperor’s eyes cut across to Pryde as the tip of the cigarra sizzles against the saber. He’s leaned away, seating back in that position of dismissal before Pryde can even think to make his eyes blink. The saber is off, tucked back into the belt of Kylo Ren, his mask and stance impassive as always. The emperor takes a long drag on his cigarra and pulls it away, between his first and second fingers. Pryde watches, still shaking, as Emperor Hux blows out the smoke, almost sighing it out. 

“You were saying, General Pryde?” 

Hux watches with satisfaction - though his face is as stoic as ever - as Pryde hurriedly stumbles through the rest of his presentation and makes his exit. 

“You enjoy that too much,” Kylo Ren’s affected voice comes through his mask as the door to the throne room slides shut. There is a soft shuffling among the Knights lining the throne room as they communicate via the Force. Hux takes another long drag on his cigarra, staring at the door. He doesn’t respond, knowing Ren will feel his smug satisfaction. 

Perhaps he’s right, but Hux knows that Ren is just as much a show-off as he is. 

**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me on Tumblr [@ira-fae](https://ira-fae.tumblr.com/)


End file.
